The Myth of the Game Spirit
by Autumnrainingleaves
Summary: Atem and his buddies over drink and put a halloween myth to test. Who would have known what they set in motion, changing a lost spirit's path. A Halloween fic to those who love Bloody Mary. Rating MAY go up.
1. Meeting a Spirit

**Autumn: I'm back! Halloween is my favorite time of year, so I just couldn't pass up the chance to do a halloween fic!  
>Rika: All thanks to me for making her watch the scary Paranormal Activity 3 commercial. <strong>

**Autumn: NEVER SPEAK OF IT! (looks around at dark, scary room, of course alone) I'm gonna DIE! *cries* I want my koi!**

**Rika: Shit. So disclamore however the fuck you spell it, Autumn don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If she did, the world would have ended.**

Three very drunk teenagers stumbled back into their house. The shortest, a young man with stunning crimson eyes and wild tricolored hair who goes by the name of Atem, sometimes Yami, was the one the two bigger teens were shoving into a bathroom. One, a slightly insane eighteen year old with platinum blonde hair shooting straight into the air defying gravity, known simply as Marik, taunted the intoxicated boy, " Is our precious Pharaoh scared of a simple girly –hic- sleepover trick?" He slurred out.

Halloween was in the air. Everyone was jumpy as adrenaline soared over pointless terrifying movies. Everywhere one could see, décor of silly or downright horrifying decorations filled the cities with the air of fear and celebration to the holiday.

"No," the shorter retorted.

"But Atem," the albino teenager almost purred. "You are the one who clearly said that legions are just that. And the whole 'ritual' was intended to scare the girls." He was right. The tan young man had stated this fact before he was too drunk to think straight.

"Fine," Atem declared. He walked around the house and picked up the items needed for the summoning: Seven candles, all of which were purest of white, a wooden match, and a game. When the now almost sober Atem went back into the bathroom, he clicked on the light and set to work. The tricolored hair boy set the seven candles all around the white porcelain room. Next, he struck the match and lit all of the lights with its fire. In front of the almost glowing mirror, the checker board was striated out by a tan hand.

Almost shaking, the light was turned back off. The candles created a room of distorted shadows and glowing orbs of light.

Steeling his bravery, or stupidity, Atem began the chant.

"Game, game

Let's play a game

Come to play master of games

I challenge you to come and play

Game, game

Come out and play Yugi!"

His baritone voice rang, as if there was far more room for the sound to travel. His crimson eyes slowly looked around. A grin played on his lips. There was not a spirit to be found. "Marik, Bakura, I have proved you imbeciles wrong yet again."

Marik's voice rang from right behind the door, "How do we know you're not some demon trying to eat us?" The one also known as Yami sighed.

"Because I know I would probably get some fire crotch STD from you or something."

"Fair enough," replied the psychotic Egyptian. He and Bakura looked warily around before stepping in. "Huh," Bakura said. "I fully expected us to die." No one looked at the mirror. A child, one who had a shockingly close resemblance to Atem, looked at the teenagers with fascinated amethyst eyes. A frown came to his beautiful face as he realized he would have to scare the boys to announce his presence. The one called Yugi took a shaky breath to interrupt the friends.

"Hello." All three boys immediately looked at the figure in the mirror. "Holy fucking Ra!" they said as they fell to the floor. All were wide eyed and full of unpronounceable fear. Marik even let out a small scream. They got to their senses and bolted to the door.

"Wait!" the spirit pleaded. Slowly, Atem let go of the door knob. Why would a soul eating spirit ask to wait? He turned and looked at the boy, trapped in the mirror. With a shock, Atem realized the child, who looked disturbingly like him, was imprisoned in the reflecting device.

"I won't hurt you. You called and I answered. I cannot come out unless you ask again for me to play. I promise not to hurt you, or your friends." Atem narrowed his regal eyes.

"How can we trust you?" The rest nodded frantically, spellbound by the conversation. Both were absolutely terrified out of drunkenness. Any animal just passing by could smell the thick fear scent rolling off of the three boys in waves.

"Every time I am summoned, I am saved for a few moments from eternal torture. I serve the one named Bloody Mary. Win a game of your choice and I shall be your eternal slave, lose and I will just be on my way." The very room had darkened at the mention of the vengeful spirit. (I am beyond terrified just typing this).

Atem felt tears glaze his eyes. He could feel the truth in Yugi's words. Also, the pain was plain enough for a blind man to see. "I trust you. Come on out, Bakura, Marik, go sleep." The last two scampered off; in hopes of this adventure being another nightmare created in the recesses of their dark and twisted minds. No doubt they would have a killer hangover come morning,

Yugi watched the two freely leave with wide eyes. Freedom was a word he held preciously in his heart. The word had kept him from losing the sanity of his soul. Tortures unimaginable to mere mortals made the very soul lose its hold onto reality. He snapped back to the present and looked at his savior. Atem's encouraging nod gave him the strength to last another few hours.

The spirit gracefully stepped into the world of the living. Being solid was a drug he wished he could pay for. Hiding his inner dilemma, he took the Egyptian's hand and allowed himself to be led to the simple game.

"I know it's not much-"

With real tears in his eyes, Yugi interrupted. "It's beautiful. The game may be simple, but anything is good enough for me." Atem smiled at his new friend and set up the game.

**Autumn: So to continue or not.**

**Rika: Review or not hear the ending. Or review so she doesn't screw up and kill the story by adding. (tries to sneak off with Icepool's Bakura Muse)**

**Autumn: Don't leave me! (double face palm)**


	2. A Game to Remember

**Autumn: I'm back! I thank each reviewer with all of my heart. **

**Rika: (begrudgingly gives out giant soft mints to reviewers)**

**Autumn: This time I'm not in the dark so it might not be as haunting as some have said. And another point I need to clear, THIS IS NOT A YAOI! Yep, first time ever. **

**Rika: To those freaks who liked a Hikari's Yami, she IS making a sequel. It is slow going. Just thought I would throw that out there… And half credit to Icepool123 for helping out. (Autumn can't write without her)**

**Disclaimer: This dude called me up and gave me the rights to Yugioh! But when I met him, he said I had to sign the contract in the back of his big van behind the gas station near my house. I declined, so I do not, have not, or probably ever will own Yugioh.**

Chapter 2

A Game to Remember

Atem put the old checker board in between him and the spirit. Slowly, he set up the simple child's game. Black game pieces on red and black squares on his side of the board, and opposite were red circles. The quickly sober teenager watched Yugi curiously looking around his surprisingly clean bathroom. He held in a laugh when the spirit jumped three feet when he accidentally sprayed cologne. **(Yami don't need no cologne, he smells sexy on his own:)**

"Are you ok?" Yugi turned to him open mouthed.

"It **attacked **me!" Atem could not hold in his laughter. He failed to notice that the mirror apparition closed his amethyst eyes, drinking in the first sound of enjoyment he had heard in many seasons. Yugi put the red canister down and sat across from his opponent. Strategies started running marathons in his head.

When the special mortal finished putting the game together, he pulled a coin from his leather pants pocket. "Heads or tails?"

Confusion dressed the other's features. "I have a choice?" More unexpected tears filled his crimson eyes. How bad could this nice child's life have been? What had he done to even have to ask a question like that? More questions without answers filled his mind. He shook his head, sending his tri colored locks in a colorful mess before it settled back into its usual crazy hair style.

"Yes, you should always have a choice." The spirit had a perplexed look gracing his angelic features. Atem barely caught the word "tails". _Poor kid, spirit person. I feel so bad but I don't know how to help._ Win the game descendant of the pharaoh. The one known also known as Yami paused for a moment. He could have sworn he had heard a girl's voice.

Turning his attention he switched back to the being in front of him. His thumb sprung the silver coin his in the air spinning. Then it returned back to his hand. Atem flipped it onto his tan elbow. Tails. "Are you using some spirit mumbo jumbo on me?" For the first time, Yugi's laughter filled the room. Pure, innocent, pain free laughter.

"No, that's cheating. I do not cheat." His pale arms wrapped around his sides as he gasped for air. It had been awhile since he had needed air as if he were alive. _No. _All thoughts of his eternal predicament were banished to the recesses of his mind.

He carefully moved a checker piece to a different square. Atem followed suit. Move after move. Concentration penetrated the room. To break the silence, the Egyptian asked, "So what is it like being a spirit if you don't mind telling?" The only sound was of a game piece moving across the board, jumping over the defense.

"Well," Yugi began. "It is just like being alive. You can feel everything when you turn sort of tangible. You can move things, sleep, and feel pain. When you turn intangible, it's like you're a misty cloud feeling only temperatures. You can bleed when you're tangible too." Shivers coursed through his very touchable body. "The main difference is that you know you're dead so you don't eat. Or have to sleep. It is also impossible to fall unconscious. It is a decision. When you get too weak, you go in a state of limbo and just simply exist, like meditating. "

The alive being was captivated. So this is what happened when you died! "Before you go thinking this is some miracle, think. The only way to stay after death is to make a deal with one of the creatures of darkness."

"Why would you do that?" He moved another black disk, jumping two of Yugi's red ones. His eyes glanced to see a horror stricken spirit. Atem suddenly sick inside and reached a hand to his new friend. Yugi screamed, "DON'T TOUCH ME!" He had jumped up and backed into the door. Words came out in strings from his paled lips. "It was an accident, no one meant it. You are stuck forever, NEVER LOOSE FAITH!" His form started to shiver. Light started cracking through his face.

The sennen eye glowed on Atem's forehead. If Yugi left now, he might never come back. Save him! The female voice commanded. "Yugi, please calm down, I'm sorry. Please don't go. I'm sorry." Two of the candles had blown out.

The panic stricken apparition stopped shaking, his form still wavering. "Light the candles again please."

Obeying, he did. The spirit's form was once again solid. "When I'm in the world of the living, all of the ritual items must stay perfect," he explained. A moonbeam white hand moved a red circle to a black square, evading getting jumped. The game was coming to a close. "King me." Yugi was in the lead. Then he inquired, "What is high school like? I don't remember good things about it."

Atem thought about it. "It's okay. The work is hard as all get out, but my psychotic duo helps me through it."

"Is that the two I gave a heart attack to?"

The tan laughed a deep baritone laugh. A thought then plagued him. He slowly asked, "Did you have any friends?"

The smaller thought for a moment. "A few, but there was an accident and they were gone. Joey, Tristan, and Tea were their names. They died two years ago. Drunk driver hit them after they left a party." A tear drop finally hit the floor. Atem reached over and wiped his cheek. Yugi gripped his hand painful tight. "Every time I have a reason to live it was snatched away. That's why I did it." Fear gripped Atem's stomach.

"What did you do?"

**Rika: WHY DID YOU STOP?**

**Autumn: Duh! Evil cliffy! BWAHAHAHAA!**

**Rika: You need to quit talking to Bakura muse.**

**Autumn: I will when you stop dating him.**

**Rika: You mean hikari. Review and my evil hikari will get in touch with her writing buddy and continue. **


	3. The past that haunts

**Autumn: (nomnomnom)**

**Rika: What are you eating?**

**Autumn: Whoppers. Yummy.**

**Rika: And you didn't even think to share?**

**Autumn: (looks longingly at last whopper) Here you go.**

**Rika: SIKE!(Has gigantic bag of whoppers)**

**Both: YAY!**

**Autumn: SO I am on a HUGE sugar high to finish this story before Halloween. **

**Rika: So enjoy this rather graphic chapter.**

**Autumn: (calms down) Oh yea. If anyone is against Yugi abuse, I suggest skipping this chapter. It is only pain. It makes me sad to think about it. **

**Declaimer: I know that you know that he knows that she knows that I know that I don't own Yugioh. **

"My story is one I would never want to read. There is no happy beginning, middle, or end. Why do you want to know?" Tears were in rivers down his face. So much pain resided in the hikari that his very soul would soon go insane. Atem did not want to drive Yugi away, but he had to know, so he asked again.

"Yugi, what happened?" A look of utter insanity covered Yugi's face. He looked like a deranged angel. The most malicious of smiles covered his face.

"You want to know? I'll tell you." His head cocked to the side, as if he was listening to a voice. "I don't have long. She will come if I'm not back soon." A deep breath filled his artificial lungs. "There was never a time I was happy. When I was eight, my mother was killed by my drunken father. He used to, show me to his friends. My mom always made a game. Hide and shush. It's like hide and seek, but instead of being it when you're found, you get tape wrapped around your mouth. I loved her so much. She did everything she could to save me. Once she was gone, luckily my Grandpa found out and took me in.

School wasn't any better. I was bullied until I cut myself. Over and over this went on. But one time, these two who were the worst bullies in the entire school took it too far. They trapped me in the locker room and, and," there was no pausing in his tears. "They poured a bucket of jalapeño sauce on me. I screamed and screamed until Tristan and Joey came. They had hated me and been knocking books out of my arms and little things like that for years until that moment. Joey rinsed out my eyes and Tristan found new clothes for me. He also told Tea, my only other friend, what happened and got my Grandpa over.

Everything was _so good_ for a year. We were inseparable. Joey and I loved this game, duel monsters. Every other day we were either dueling or at the arcade. Tristan tagged along even though he wasn't as good as us. None of us minded. We all had so much fun." A blush adorned his cheeks.

"I had a huge crush on Tea. I think she even liked me back. But of course I can never stay happy." The dark look came back to his face. It seemed as if it was a mask to hide the pain.

"I will never forget. That night. We were at a party. Not just a get together, but a real teenager's dream kind of party. Tea was the dancer of the group, so she immediately stole the attention of every guy there. Joey was experimenting with alcohol with Tristan. Everything was fine until they all wanted to go home.

"All the while I had been fending off bullies. I didn't tell the others because I wanted them to have fun. When we were about to walk out the door, this really big, nasty guy Ushio whispered in my ear, "If you want to see them again, you'll stay here." I didn't like the way he said it. I ushered my three friends into Tea's monstrous minivan and waited to see what torture he had in store for me.

"As soon as they left they locked me in the bathroom with a cell phone. I pounded on the door for who knows how long before I remembered the damn phone." The upset spirit shook his head. "I called Joey's phone. I told him I was stuck and he said they would turn around and get me. Not three seconds later I heard a screech of tires. Then the phone shook with their screams. I caused them to crash." Atem could only stare in horrification. He knew this story and how it ended. Three teenagers were killed in a car crash two years ago. But that wasn't the whole story.

"I heard the ambulances proclaim them all dead before I hung up. I stared at myself in the mirror, wondering what kind of monster I was. Then I started kicking the door. Ushio didn't like that. He and his gang cornered me into the tub and said I wasn't getting out until I did something for them."

Yugi looked Atem in the eyes. "Please don't judge me too harshly; I was numb from hearing my only three friends just die." The game spirit took a deep breath. "They told me to call Bloody Mary. Say her name three times after locking the door without the light on and dare to flip the switch back on.

"I turned after locking the now dented door. Mary Mary, Bloody Mary. **(If I never return, you guys will know the truth.) **I heard a sweet lady say, 'Oh you're so beautiful. Turn on the light so I can see you better dear.' I was so scared I screamed. My heart was beating the only other sound I heard. Fear. 'Turn on the light honey. Don't be afraid.' For some unearthly reason, I turned on the light.

"She was a beautiful woman. Long black hair and pale skin. Though her eyes were off; they were the color of swirling blood. Not your stunning crimson, but fresh swirling blood, like her eyes were bleeding. 'Touch the mirror, precious. And all of your earthly pain will disappear.' Numbly, that god forsaken mirror got touched. All of my earthly pain did disappear, only to be replaced by an agony mortals cannot bear." Atem was now crying with a hurt he now understood. The boy in the coma was right in front of him.

"You're," the Egyptian descendant chocked out, "the boy who was put into a coma by hearing the loss of your friends." He sniffed. Never had this long forgotten tale been so important. "Two years ago almost exactly, three teenagers were in a severe car accident in Domino High. A few days later, a boy was found in an abandoned bathroom, in a coma of some sort. He had heard the crash through the phone according to the last call." The story had plagued the city of Domino for a long time. No bullying campaigns were running rampant after the story of Yugi Motou. How could he have missed the connection?

The now eighteen year old comatose boy said, "My body is still alive?" He got a faraway look on his face. Yugi jumped Atem's last two checkers and stood up.

"Thanks for playing." The spirit touched the mirror. The only memory that this game had ever happened was the boy forgotten on the bathroom floor, a checker board, the red side victorious, and a boy deep within a coma, a small smile gracing his lips.

**Autumn: (Crying)**

**Rika: So readers, continue, or not to continue?**

**Bakura: Review.**

**Autumn: My deepest and most sincere apologies for not having this updated sooner. **


	4. Finding agony

**Autumn: Hello everyone! (Looks and sees only two reviews) D:**

**Rika: HA! Fail. (How dare they not review!)**

**Autumn: Yeah, I got a bit frustrated that only two people reviewed, it makes autumn and Rika sad so we've been stuffing our faces with cookies instead of typing.**

**Rika: Good thing Icepool kept pestering us… **

**Autumn: (sighs) onward with my story.**

**Rika: Disclaimer. We don't own Yugioh, bed suits, bloody Mary, or the USA. **

Chapter Four

**Atem**

He had lost. He Atem, descendant of the great pharaoh, had lost the most important game in his life. _Yugi. _The friendly spirit's face refused to leave him. With his head cast down, the teenager knew he had utterly failed the lost soul. His eyes, dulled to a burgundy, looked around his room. There was a nice red bed set and a matching black dresser. The only imperfection was the clothes he wore last night; they were scattered in an alcohol smelling heap.

How could you fail him? You could see his suffering, yet you still managed to lose to him? You are unworthy to your shadow powers. That female voice refused to leave him alone. As if to agree with the disembodied voice, every time he tried to touch his millennium puzzle, the gold Egyptian artifact zapped his hand away.

Feeling the eyes haunting him, watching him, Atem covered his face with his arms and said in an everlasting loop, "I'm sorry I lost. I'm sorry I couldn't save you. You trusted me and I failed. I'm sorry."

**Yugi**

_He was trapped in another nightmare. The slight knowing between fantasy and reality had faded again. Yugi was in a dark room, the walls damp and made of stone. _

"_Come here Yugi," a deep voice called. _

"_How?" he had forgotten how to move. _

"_Come to me Yugi," the voice had gotten softer, as if the bearer was walking away. _

"_WAIT!" Yugi cried. There was no answer. Water started pouring from the ceiling. "Atem, please come back, don't leave me!" The child had never learned to swim. (__**Season 0, on his 'date' at the amusement park**__) He would drown! "Atem, help me!" Fear was evident. His breathing was in gasps, he was shaking all over his body, and his amethyst eyes were wide dinner plates._

_The warm teen stalked into the room with the regality of an Egyptian pharaoh. Yugi immediately felt himself relax; he trusted his older twin. Dream Atem picked up the waterlogged boy. "Aibou, you need to do better than this." Suddenly a stroke of a match was heard. A woman's smiling face showed to the boys. Yugi then realized as his sense of smell returned, that they weren't standing in water, but gasoline. The lit match fell. Atem threw Yugi to a net hanging from the ceiling; the younger teenager watch in complete horror as the older boy screamed as he burned alive, "Why?" The lost spirit had no answer. The last words before the final image were, "No one can save you."_

The young boy snapped back from his state of limbo. Long evil marks trailed down his arms, disappearing into his once white shirt. Now the simple shirt was beautifully decorated in deep rusty red lines of splatters. A large room surrounded him, almost as large as a master bedroom in an 1850 plantation house. The time period mentioned was the theme all around.

A wooden bed, naked and red splotches in any random place on the old mattress, was what he lied on. An eternity at least he had spent here, torture beyond human comprehension. The spirit thought dryly, _No one understands the pain I have been through, all for nothing. _

"Yuuu-gi, are you back?" a melodic female voice called, sending his dead blood into a frozen wasteland. There must have been some way of her knowing when he was sent back from the world of the living. He was now being denied even a few short moments of peace.

"Oh Yugi-kun, I am so glad you are back. I presume you have won as always?" A smile was on her red from blood drinking lips.

"Y-yes," he timidly replied. Her swirling eyes slanted, displaying a sign of a mistake.

"What did you say to me?" Her long black hair swept behind her waist as she checked his restraints; even the most willing for inhumane torture attempted to fight back. Yugi's beautiful amethyst eyes widened at her menacing words. What had he done wrong? "You should show proper respect for your mistress."

"I-I meant to say yes ma'am," the vulgar southern American term made his skin crawl. Elders were supposed to be treated with more respect. Bloody Mary had most defiantly originated from deep in the south of the United States. Her quest to stay young forever was long over; she had found the perfect substitute in her hidden afterlife. To stay youthful and gorgeous, all the witch had to do was torture an innocent soul to oblivion.

Mary's sweet southern charm voice carried, "I'm absolutely sure you meant to say that. All well, far too late now" She raised a whip far over her head all smiles and brought it down over and over until she was too overcome with pleasure to stand his screams anymore.

"Shush now darling or I will have to taint you in other ways." Slowly the evil spirit stroked the boy's crimson and swelled up cheek. "So beautiful. Oblivion would be a much happier place, why not accept and go there?"

Bright with tears eyes turned to the infatuated woman. He spoke shakily, "I would rather suffer than know I am allowing you to hurt another soul." A big smile crossed her face and she stood up and clapped with glee, laughing like a girl just winning a free teddy bear. They played this game every night. No one emerged a victor, but it was a huge deal to draw. His life for someone he would never meet or know. Also this game kept him somewhat alive. Oblivion was a state almost none had returned from.

A memory appeared, sweet and away from his pain. Yugi welcomed it warmly, not paying attention to what place in his past it was.

**Atem**

The fully hung-over adolescent was getting angry. His puzzle was refusing to revile the spirit to him. When the shadows would gather to show him an image, it would blast apart to different sides of the shaded room. "Ugh! For Ra's sake WORK for me!" An albino head, adorned with shoulder length pure white hair, interrupted the almost vision. "Keep it down pharaoh; Marik's got the hangover of the century." His mouth dropped to an "o" at his friend's appearance.

Bakura's wildly haired friend was covered in a layer of sweat from the exertion of trying to use his powers. His stunning red eyes where splotched with tiny crimson veins, all signs of overusing shadow magic; even his normally steady hands were shaking as would a leaf in a storm.

"Moron! What are you trying to do, kill yourself?" He ran over and plucked the millennium item out of Atem's hands. "What the hell!" Atem looked up at him, tiny traces of tears in his eyes.

"I can't just sit idle as he is tortured!" he exclaimed, jumping off the bed. That action made him stumble into Bakura's arms. "This is a new level of awkward between us," Atem whispered.

Bakura whispered back, "Mention this and you will lose a very 'close' friend of yours." Then he pushed the prince of Egypt onto his bed. "So you want to see someone? Why not just ask?"

The tan boy explained, "It's more complicated. He's a spirit but he seems to be hidden or something."

Bakura lightly smacked the back of his tricolored hair. "Have you forgotten that MY item is used to find objects of power and spirits?"  
>Atem sheepishly replied, "I honestly thought you wouldn't help."<p>

The other boy shook his silvery hair, "Idiot, we're acquaintances, remember?" A smile crossed his face at Bakura's way of friendship. "You stay on your bed your highness and I'll get my ring." The one also known as Yami complied. This act of kindness was going to cost him. Maybe he would have to spike a girl's drink or something.

The descendent of the ancient thief king waltzed into the room. Within his hands was a golden object with seven spikes tinkling from the sides, almost creating a circle. The eye of Horus stared with its ancient wisdom. Bakura's millennium ring was quite a sight to see. A power, old and all-knowing, made the golden item nearly glow with a particular type of beauty. If only it hadn't been used for the evil Bakura was trying rise over. That story is for another time.

"Ok, let's have a go." Bakura said. "Tell me his full name. Or as much as you know."

Atem spoke quietly, "His name was Yugi Motou, The boy who has been in a coma for two years now." Bakura jerked at that. Both had faint memories of the young boy, walking down the hallways with either his head down or smiling and laughing with his three friends. Yugi had been the topic of many discussions because of his similarity to Atem.

"How didn't I recognize him last night?"

Atem answered, "You were stoned. You wouldn't have recognized your own mother."

"Shut up." His companion started whispering the words to activate his item. His brow furrowed, indicating a complication. The chanting whispers grew to a talking voice and more rushed. Bakura sent Atem a look that said his fear "He's defiantly hidden."

Much longer than usual, minutes later the ring began to glow. Bakura finished his chant in English "and allow us to see, Yugi Motou." Slowly the scattered shadows throughout the room collected around the glowing golden ring. They conglomerated right above the two boys. Colors and shapes began to appear. On a stripped wooden framed mattress laid the previous king of games. Yugioh, Yugi, known by one Yug.

The childlike figure shifted his position, as if he knew he was being watched. The dead blood had fully dried, leaving Yugi looking as if a long knife had mistaken him for an enemy. He looked directly at his watchers. "You are unwelcome here. My afterlife is nothing of your concern." He would have been believed if fat tears had not begun to make rivers down his emaciated face.

"Can you hear us?" Atem asked in almost excited voice, not because he just seen the worst scene in his life.

The spirit nodded. "Your presence is faint and your words clear." Atem looked ready to cry. His game partner had deteriorated from a lively free spirit to a slave to pain in just one night.

Yugi spoke again, "Why are you two spying on me?" Atem tried to speak but was interrupted.

"Alright you stupid kid, I did not cast this séance to be called a spy. This jack ass here wanted to see if you were ok. Obviously not, servant of Blood." Crimson eyes glared at his close to friend.

"How the hell is he a servant of Blood?" Bakura snorted. "Just look at him, he also oozes the work of Bloody Mary." He turned to back to the gaping spirit. "You want to tell him?"

Yugi almost snarled, "I told him everything."

Bakura smirked, "You know you're lying." Yugi let out a sigh. "If you want to know all, then just go ahead. TAKE THEM! TAKE IT ALL, I DON'T WANT THEM!" Memories hurled at Atem and Bakura.

**Icepool: Hey everyone. Just so you know, Arl and I didn't give up. We were livid over having a review from only myself and my personal friend Namara. There were several reasons for our delay so please don't be upset. We can only communicate on weekends and I just lost my friend Rawr, my flash drive. I'm very happy for you people enjoying this story. Thank you for reading.**


	5. What I Would Give to Forget

**Autumn: I find this story harder to write every time I look at it**

**Rika: We really meant to end it at Chapter 3...**

**Autumn: So updates are slow. I hate myself.**

**Rika: I love you**

**Autumn: Stalker**

**Rika: You're in a bad mood. Autumn doesn't own Yugioh. We all know she would have seriously skrewed up and it never would have gotten written.**

**Autumn: *Bangs head on wall* **

**Icepool: I finally get to be in an author's note! Hey everyone.**

**Bakura: (shakes head) You fail. **

**Rika: *slaps Bakura's head***

**Yugi: This story is getting sad. **

**Icepool: *smiles* You have no idea what's coming.**

**Yugi: (sweat drops)**

The Myth of the Game Spirit

Chapter 5

What I would give to forget

The unwilling thief king and prince were picked up by thousands of silent moving pictures. All of the pictures dragged them in the shadows, as would an ocean wave pulling back. Once within, the memories floated up before vanishing quickly one by one. Bakura stated the obvious, "Well this sucks." Atem did not even spare him an eye roll.

"Where are we?" He asked, only to be given a crazy look from the white haired descendent.

"Shadow Realm your Highness," as always, the 'your highness' was spoken as rude and sarcastically as possible.

Around the protagonists were interestingly purple clouds, glowing with streaks of dark negative energy. The teenagers seemed to be miles and miles away from any type of society. Bakura pursed his lips before saying, "I wonder how he brought us here. I didn't see an item on him, so I guess being a servant of Blood gave him certain abilities." That was the last straw; Atem snapped,

"What the Hell is wrong with you? He was a scared kid who had just lost his only friends and tried to stop the pain from his new loss. Yugi was, for Ra's sake, lied to! And what the fuck with this 'Servant of Blood' shit?" Had he been canine, he would be frothing at the mouth. Though the Egyptian knew little of the boy, he felt almost obligated to protect him.

He is right, descendent of Afekia. 

Bakura jumped sky high when he heard the female's voice. He pulled out his trusty knife and said, "Alright, whoever said that COME OUT!"

Atem let out a knowing smirk, "What's wrong Bakura, scared?"

Bakura let out a huff of dead air, "In your spiky haired dreams, pharaoh boy." Even though he oozed confidence in this realm, the voices were a thing to be cautious around.

The girl's voice rang out again, Have you come to learn the truth? 

"Yes," Atem said to appearing darkness, "I want to save him." After those words, a shining white figure gracefully floated down to the boys. A sixteen-year-old girl appeared from the mist. Though she was slightly translucent, any one could see she had short brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a slightly disfigured body, as if the other car had hit her only a day ago. Tea had come back from the dead.

Both teens let out a small gasp. Téa was there with them, blood forever flowing from scratches on her face from the glass, her rib cage half crushed. Bakura blurted, "You're dead! I remember school was let out early for the car crash student's funerals." The broken spirit smiled.

My body may have died two yearsback, but I chose to stay and wait for my friend. Atem could only stare. How could anyone willingly spend his or her time in the Shadow Realm? The waiting spirit guessed his question. I am willing to spend eternity here to save him. A tear fell down her bloody face. I love him, what he goes through…no being deserves. 

The albino decided to bite, "So what do you need us to do?"

Téa's mangled body began to fade. A whisper fell to their ears. Simply learn the truth. Then she was gone. A glossy photograph fell from where she disapeared. Tan fingers reached up and ensnared the picture before it could vanish within the dark clouds. Bakura hovered over Atem's shoulder as he flipped it over to seethe image.

An entranced boy about to touch a mirror with a beautiful girl within it met their eye. The boy had platinum blonde hair and had a tan almost as dark as Atem's. Bakura and Atem could only stare at one another. Malik, Marik's younger brother, had died years back, causing the older sibling to lose his sane mind. First he had been in a coma, then strangely had a heart attack and never woke up. Marik had been positive his brother's soul was not only passed on, but had been obliterated.

Now the answer stared the eighteen-year-olds square in the face. Bloody Mary had tortured Malik, only thirteen at the time,until his soul was lost forever. Tears slowly fell down, like salty rain as did the glossy white papers falling down…countless boys and girls…gone…

Atem whispered astonished, "So many innocent souls. Children. They were only children." The snowfall of obliterated souls dwindled down to a calm fluttering. Only one more fell. This certain picture had a soft glow to it. Once again, Atem caught the photograph. Yugi's tear covered face showed slight hope as he was about to touch the mirror. Something inside Atem broke. Bakura was stunned beyond words. His crimson tinged brown eyes took in all of the anguish around him.

A pale arm touched Atem's shoulder, bringing him out of a slight grieving. "We need to leave."

The descendent of the Pharaoh shook his head."I still don't know the truth. And I need to find a way to stop this monster once and for all." He was haunted by the images around him. The need of revenge for the victims pulsed behind his ears. Someone was going to pay.

Suddenly, all the pictures starting changing from the deceased child it once held to a silent memory. Atem remembered how they got here.

_"If you want to know all, then just go ahead. TAKE THEM! TAKE IT ALL, I DON'T WANT THEM!" _

Scenes from Yugi's eyes played in a silently screaming mass. Atem turned to Bakura. He offered the picture of Malik. "Go on home. Try to get Marik on our side and I'll come when I'm done here." His friend nodded and disapeared in a burst of light. Now this was personal to both. Not only Atem's new friend, but Malik had been close to him when they were younger. Already four years had past, but the emptiness sometimes stirred.

When all was still in the night, the Egyptain teenager could swear he heard past conversations, laughter, crying; any range of emotions, imprints showing Malik was once there.

Sighing, the decendent of Egypt's pharaoh picked up a picture. All he could see was darkness. As he gazed into the particular photo, soft warm tendrils of light wrapped around his wrists. As a child would pull forward an adult, the glowing bonds pulled the boy into the picture.

_Dark. I'm afraid. Please let me out, I'm scared of the dark. I didn't mean to break the plate. It was so heavy. 'Daddy,' a child's voice cried, 'I'm sorry. Please let me out, I'm scared.' _

_Atem's eyes slowly ajusted to the dark room. A sobbing boy was leaning against a door, begging to be let out. Yugi's fear and saddness cut deep into his heart. _

_Right as the door opened, a tall evil man came in with a belt. With the beautiful light came horrific agony. _

Cold hands ripped him away from the beaten child. A lump threatened to choke him as he digested the memory. No wonder Yugi had thrown them at him. The truth? An abusive father. A different picture called his attention. Wearily he picked it up. Once again, the sweet light led him into the past.

_Atem could almost hear the words the boy thought. _

_Dark. I'm not afraid though. I'm playing hide and shush. Atem remembered the game Yug iskimed over describing it little. Yugi coughed and froze. Footsteps and drunken laughter pierced the silence. He had lost._

_Instead of an evil man, this one was a woman. She was petite and had dark circles under her ocean blue eyes. "I'm sorry Yugi, you know the rules." The son put a finger to his lips and stood up. The woman lovingly put duct tape over his mouth. A swift hug and a promise, "One day I'll save us from him. I love you," and she left him in solitude again. The very young boy stared at the door before crying. He had let his mother down. _

Another picture grabbed Atem before he could get to his senses.

_'No. Idon't want to hide any more!' However long had passed had been years. The whiplash was killing Atem. _

_'Yugi, I have to protect you. Please go.'_

_'No, I hate you for making me hide when sometimes he comes in and hurts me. Go away, I never want to see you again.' A light died from the woman's eyes as she went to tend to her drunk husband. _

He returns again. The boy who he passed every day in the hallway had never seemed so alive. Now Atem was beginning to understand the boy more. Another photo announced its importance and Atem complied to its calling.

_Soft ballads of sweet piano music play. All are standing in absolute silence as the preacher says his words to the woman. Formal suits and a few black dresses surrounded a mute boy, only a bit older than in the last memory. As the coffin containing his mother desends, he speaks for the first time in months, 'Momma!'_

_Hands grab the grieving boy to keep him from jumping in the grave with his mother. He yells 'I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I still love you, please don't go away again! MOMMA!'_

_The scene is too much for most of the present friends and family and tears run down faces of men and women alike. Atem presses his knuckle into his mouth to keep himself from breaking the coffin is placed, a police officer drags the still screaming boy away._

Atem sat in the sea of memories and cried. All he thought he ever knew flew out the metaphorical window. Pain? Nothing. Look at Yugi Motou and think hard before you say your life is unberable.

A softlight shone. Atem refused to let it take him. Warmth circled his wrist and asked him silently to come. Important it spoke without words. He allowed himself to be led away.

_The Kame game shop came into view. Yugi had only one bag, Atem noticed. A short elderly man reached for the child. Without moving, he allowed the hug. 'Yugi, I'm your Grandpa. You might not remember me and that is fine. Is it okay if you live with me for now?'_

_Yugi was lost for words. Never had he been given a choice. 'I-I guess.' He was led upstairs past the shop and into a bedroom. Yugi's eyes were wider than dinner plates. A clean room with a desk and toys and games greeted him. He loved games.'Is this all mine?' _

_His grandfather nodded. 'All yours as long as you stay. And I have something else for you.' He dug in his overalls pocket and pulled out a duel monsters card.'This was your mother's favorite when I got her interested.' Yugi held onto the card for dear life. Anything his mother loved he would take care of. A Dark Magician Girl smiled up at him.'Thank you Grandpa. I'll take care of it.' His grandpa smiled tenderly. 'I know you will.' _

To the one watching, it seemed Yugi's life was starting to crescendo. He had a newstart and a loving guardian. What could be so horrible now? A memory led him back into Yugi's world.

_'Ushio, I don't have enough money! I'm sorry.' Another time skip. Yugi at this time seemed to be fifteen. He was in a locker room surrounded by a scary group of bullies. The tallest with the darkest hair put his lips right next to Yugi'sear. 'Then you will suffer until I get my payment.' _

_A snap ofhis fingers and a goon poured a bucket of green yellow liquid on the trembling boy and they all ran. The juice seeped into his eyes and mouth. He screamed. Blinded he fell down still screaming. _

_A blonde and a boy with strangely pointed hair came running in. They gasped at the boy writhing on the floor. Something in their eyes held regret over something. _

_'Yugi! Wha happened?' Joey was the boy's name, Atem remembered. _

_Yugi tried to control his screaming. 'Ah-ah, they poured something and it burns! My eyes and my mouth. Oww!' He was furiously wiping his tongue on his jacket and horrible tears dripped from his bloodshot eyes. Tristan smelled the substance.'Those bastards poured Jalapeno sauce on him!' _

_Joey took action. 'Okay Yug, ya trust me?' Yugi could only nod, he felt like his tongue and eyes were starting to swell. Joey led him to the sink and peeled open his eyes. Cool water gradually took the pain from his eyes. Tristan came back with Tèa, a milk carton, and a new set of clothes. _

_'Here Yugi, drink this. It works faster than water for your mouth.' Feeling his way to a bench, Yugi sat down and drank the milk. He looked to the blurry people. _

_'Thank you Tristan and Joey.' _

_Tèa rubbed his shoulder. 'Would you like for us to take you to the nurse?'_

_Yugi shook his head. 'I don't really feel like answering questions. I just want to go home.' _

_Tristan offered, 'We'll walk you home. We only have an hour left anyway.' Atem watched the group that he had thought had been Yugi's life for forever. How wrong he was. He watched them led Yugi home and become friends. _

"Until death," he said aloud. A cold wind came through. Atem wrapped his arms around his torso to keep warm. His crimson eyes stared in absolute dismay as the memories all fluttered away. Only one remained. This picture showed a party. Wondering how important it had to be to get left behind, he closed his eyes and allowed the light to take him.

_Atem hovered over the typical teenage party scene. About two hundred of his fellow classmates danced and drank and laughed away. Not Yugi. He was hiding in a corner watching Téa with interest as she danced. A group of guys literally stampeded him and laughed as they pulled at his clothes before finding another target._

_A very drunk Joey and slightly tipsy Tristan came through. Joey was swaying and kept spilling his drink onto his green jacket. 'Yo Yug!' Yugi hid a giggle as his friend tried to make a conversation. 'The blue broom lover wants us to head home. He said sponcibility is a good shit or sometin like dat. And I forgot owta work da van so ya need to drive me home.' _

_Yugi complied, 'Okay Joey, let me get Tèa.' Joey gasped. 'Yug! Ya didn't tell me ya were goin out wit her. You and I need to have a talk if ya Grandpa didn't beat me to it.' Yugi blushed and hurridly went to Tèa. Upon seeing him, she stopped and listened to him say while blushing._

_'Alright,but I'm driving. You get us pulled over far too much.' Yugi blushed even harder and followed her out the door. Ushio grabbed his collar and whispered in his ear, 'If you want to see them again, you'll stay here.' No one besides Atem saw the fear go through his body._

_Yugi called to his friends, 'On second thought, I'll walk home. I forgot I needed to see someone.' Atem felt his heart being ripped out of his chest. He knew how the story ended. _

_Tèa said concerned, 'Will you be okay? I really don't mind taking you anywhere.' Yugi gave her a dazzling smile and lied through his teeth._

_'I'll be fine. Just an old friend I need to talk to.' He waved goodbye before letting the grin fall. Yugi wrapped his arms around himself and slowly walked back into the the now half demolished home. He waited just inside the front door looking like dog about to be beat with a stick. _

_Ushio and his old gang came and surrounded him. Now Yugi could see what he had gotten himself into. He was surrounded by mostly drunk college freshmen. Ushio grabbed him and dragged him to the bathroom while Yugi was kicking and screaming. He was thrown in and locked in the dark room. Without a thought, Yugi looked so haunted and scared, he pounded at the door. 'Please let me out! I'm sorry, don't leave me in here!' The other boys snickered at what he was screaming. _

_After a few minutes, Yugi's panic level slowly decreased. Atem watched the insane fear drain from his eyes. 'I am not eight anymore.' Then he looked like he remembered something. Grinning, he pulled a cell phone with a Kuriboh attached to it. He had never given Tèa her phone back! _

_From memory, the shaken boy called Joey's phone, his fingers were crossed in the hope that he would answer. After a few rings, Atem watched his face light up with a false hope. Atem could barely stand to watch. He listened to Yugi as he said, 'Hey Joey, I'm sort of in a bad situation right now, could you guys tur naround and get me?' _

_Yugi's face reddened at the comment Joey must have said. 'It was nothing like that!Ushio locked me in the bathroom and I need help. You guys mind?'_

_A short moment later. 'Great! I'll be here-.' A chorous of screams emitted from thephone. Yugi almost dropped the phone from shock. 'Joey? Joey! Are you okay?'Atem creeped closer and listened to the phone. The squeal of tires turned into a big screetching sound. The sound of metal crushing and glass shattering. Screams turned into quiet moans and sirens started wailing. Yugi looked ashen as he heard the ambulance say, 'Nothing we can do. They're all already gone.' _

_The phone flipped closed. Utter silence. Atem tried to put a spectral arm on his shoulder, but he was not there for Yugi that night over two years ago. The insanity dripped back into his amethyst eyes. 'USHIO! LET ME OUT NOW!' He tried kicking down the door. _

_The locked clicked and the mountainous graduate loomed over Yugi. 'Now you've earned a one way ticket to hell.' _

_Defiance flared in Yugi's now dead eyes. 'What can you do Ushio? I'm not a broken little freshmen anymore. You can't kill me. Nope, then there'd be evidence and police. And they would be able to tie you to the murder. Let. Me. Out.' Ushio looked pissed beyond the otherworld and back. _

_'Fine shrimp, I'll let you out. Call the being Bloody Mary and I'll let you out.' _

_'You have got to be ki-' Ushio's glare made him silent. The man turned off the light and locked the door for the last time. Atem could barely see the teenager. Nervously Yugi turned around. He spun three times, chanting, 'Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary.' Even Atem could feel the sudden chill in the air. A sweet and charming Southern girl's voice called, 'Oh, you're so beautiful. Turn on the light so I can see you better deary.' _

_Yami winced when Yugi screamed from fright. He watched in agony as light filled the room. _

_Yugi stared in awe at the beautiful girl. She was young looking, had gorgeous waves of night hair, stars and all, the only part that marred her beauty was the fresh blood coloring her irises. Her smile could make armies fall on their knees. She was nothing like the old woman who bathed in young girl's blood creating her namesake, Bloody Mary. _

_Bloody Mary spoke entrancingly to the pained and shock striken boy, 'Touch the mirror, precious, and all of your earthly pain will disapear.'_

_Atem saw Yugi shake. No! He reached to Yugi as the sixteen year old reached out, in tears, to the mirror. Mary smiled in victory. As Atem was launched out of the nightmare, he could have sworn he saw the monster look right at him._

"No..."Atem sat in the sea of silent pictures. He sat still, too broken to move. Something wet dripped on his shoulder. He brushed it off to find his hand having a giant streak of blood. Tèa floated over him, suspended in midair rocking in a mutilated ball.

Now you know. Yugi is only one of thousands of innocent souls, taken by that, that MONSTER. 

The lost spirit cried. Her distended ribcage heaved to the side as she racked with sobs. Atem closed his eyes and allowed the emotions to wash over him. He made a decision. With complete confidence and full devotion to this cause, he said with the autority of the pharaoh he was decended from,

"Tell me how we save them."

End of Chapter 5

**Autumn&Icepool: *sigh with the awesomeness of finishing another chapter***

**Icepool: Nothing beats this feeling.**

**Autumn: It is the best.**

**Yugi: Why do you two hate me? Please review so I won't be eternally tortured.**

******January 29, 2012****** ^^Autumn: I deeply apologize for all of the mistakes. i think I fixed them, but if anyone sees a misspelled word or a funky sentence, please point it out so I can make further corrections. I am so sorry for posting without triple checking, that was very inexcusible. Sorry!**


	6. The Forgotten

**Icepool: *determination* to finish chapter before a month has past***

**Autumn: We can do this!**

**Rika: *typing furiously***

**Icepool: So now things are heating up again. A war is on the rise. And we have several surprises.**

**Rika: Only a few more chapters.**

**Yugi: Icepool123 and Autumnrainingleaves do not own Yu-Gi-Oh nor created the story of Bloody Mary. *hides in a hole to avoid the two***

**Icepool&Autumn: Coooome baaack!**

The Myth of The Game Spirit

Chapter 6

The Forgotten

Atem shimmered back into his room. A melody of thuds and shattered glass combined with Bakura's and Marik's screaming at each other greeted him. The descendent of the pharaoh steeled himself and walked out the door.

"How DARE you mention him!" Marik was yelling and threw a picture at the albino thief.

Trying to calm him down without stabbing him, Bakura yelled back, "I MENTIONED him because I found out what really happened. Good Ra, will you LISTEN?"

Marik had lost it. He was a hung-over whirlwind of insanity. Anytime the name Malik was spoken, he had a mental breakdown that one time got him suspended from school. Atem's apartment was in ruins from his latest fit of misery. Drained bottles of bear were shattered across the wood floor and the scattered furniture. His couch was on its side, ripped from a knife that had barely missed Marik's hands.

"ENOUGH!" Atem roared. Both turned and looked at their friend. One's eyes were blazing with hurt and pure rage, creating a haunted look, the other's brown looked dark and ashamed. Bakura never felt for anything except things he found he cared about. Marik and his brother had been the ones to start that category. Not counting one being. Bakura refused to think of the person who looked just like him.

The hurting Egyptian refused to cry. He was not fourteen anymore. Even at that age it was shameful to show emotion. Random thoughts flew across his mind, making rational thinking impossible. "I should hear pharaoh because he think God is him as palace." Marik hated when he did this, he felt weak and like he was under a microscope.

Atem took the picture from Bakura's hand and offered it to Marik. "Would we bring him up without reason?" Marik's no trusting eyes flitted between the two before he snatched the photograph. His tan hand flew to his mouth and he sank to his knees before letting out a heart wrenching keen. He clung to the proof for dear life.

Crimson and brown eyes turned watery at the sight of their friend. An eighteen year old rocking back and forth on the floor clinging to a photograph of his lost brother is horrible to watch. Knowing the only way to make his pain go away is a tiny fluke that might not exist is even worse. Atem put a hand on his shoulder carefully; in this state, Marik might bite it off for all he knew.

"We wouldn't have brought him up if we didn't have a plan to help." Two sets of eyes stared at Atem, making his shoulders hot. Friends or not, pressure is pressure. Marik hiccupped and let the usual insane look coat his eyes and all thoughts disappeared.

"What Ra plan? Tem led us wrong us many," Marik had been diagnosed with a stutter before, leaving words out of sentences and repeating some as if his mind spewed them out before being put in chronological order. Luckily Atem and Bakura knew him enough to understand what he was trying to say.

The leader swallowed and slowly explained the plan Tèa and he had discussed in the Shadow Realm. A few "You're crazy," and "That's impossible had been proclaimed. Atem finished his speech, silence ensued. He became impatient after a complete minute of silence, "Well?"

Marik shouted, "No place lives after!" Bakura broke his silence to add in,

"Marik is right, no such place exists. Once your soul dies, you are caput for eternity. There is no coming back after that." Atem explained further,

"Do you not hear him after the noise vanishes? Malik is still here, past emotions and memories keep his essence alive. What makes a soul is the person Malik was. He was sweet, stubborn, hard headed, and funny as Charlie Chaplin, bits and pieces of his soul reside around us, where he was. We have him in our hearts. Malik cannot be nonexistent because he is still remembered. Malik elitists within us. The only way for someone to truly die is for that person never to have been here in the first place."

Marik set his watery eyes on the picture of his brother. Malik's lavender eyes showed hope as if he had lost the concept years back. The Egyptian blamed himself everyday for his brother's disappearance.

_Marik, where's Ryou? He hasn't been over in a while. _

All three young men were frozen by the voice of a memory they all shared. In the past, Marik's voice had fallen somber; _Ryou's heart finally gave out. He died earlier yesterday_. The present Bakura clawed his arm until blood spilt as he heard his past self keening in the background of the memory. Malik's disbelieving sobs rang out._ He-he can't be gone! I saw him only two days ago. The past sobs became muffled as Atem had hugged the heart broken boy to his chest. All the extra voices from the past echoed away._

"Malik," Marik whispered. _I will never let you disappear, my brother._ The shadow of the past slipping around the corner almost went unnoticed. Bakura eyed it and ran full speed to the strip of darkness. He slid on a large piece of glass and crashed into the white wall. The albino thrust out his hand and caught the cold shadow.

The shadow snarled and bit at Bakura's already bleeding arm. Being a thing of darkness, it fought dirty._ Bakura, Bakura, wait up! I'm not as fast as you_, Ryou's voice called. Brown eyes went wide and Bakura dropped the shadow as if it had transformed into a brown recluse. Luckily, Atem had expected this and tackled the black strip before it disappeared.

It tried in vain the same trick._ I have a choice? _Atem glared and gripped the sliver of darkness more securely. "Nice try. You are the one who has been recreating Malik's voice, aren't you?"

"Yes. You three have been trying to get rid of his memory. How else is a lowly shadow supposed to save a soul from nonexistence? 

Atem was rather surprised. "Why would you care?" The shadow let out a familiar laugh before sliding onto the wall. It morphed into a humanoid shape. All three boys' eyes about fell from their sockets. This was no ordinary shadow, this was Malik's shadow. "He never truly died, so I never got to move on." Shadow Malik crossed his arms from his spot on the wall. "Took you guys long enough to start looking for answers. I have been stuck and waiting here for four years."

Marik asked the deadly question. "Can do you know a way to find how to to to find him?" The shadow nodded.

"The place he resides does not exist in your eyes. He and thousands of others are trapped in the in-between. A sad, lonely field of dreams that are forgotten and never happened, and souls broken beyond the point of consciousness. All shadows know and fear of this realm. Are you three willing to perhaps lose all of your identity in search of a field full of the forgotten?"

All three answered, "Yes." The strip of darkness laughed Malik's laugh and bounded from the cream colored wall and swallowed the young men whole.

**.MaryMaryBloodyMary.**

The once southern belle tapped her chin. "It seems these meddlesome teenagers are coming a bit too close to home, darling." Blank amethyst eyes only stared at her from their place on the floor, all fire of hope and heroism gone. Bloody Mary smiled at Yugi and slipped down beside him from the recently cleaned blue sheeted bed onto the polished red cherry floor. Mechanically, out of habit and fear of future pain, pale arms encircled her slight figure and pulled her into his lap. She sighed and looked up at her victim.

"Should I let them have a chance in spoiling my way of life? Or should I strike them down when they enter my realm?" Mary was truly at a loss. The shadows had never betrayed her secret realm before. Yugi thought for a moment before answering.

"They are not really a threat unless the three discover a way to revive the shattered soul. If they fail, they will be trapped and problem solved." The ancient spirit laughed and shook her head,

"You little rat; you want them to have a chance to save those nasty souls." A small light came back into Yugi's eyes.

"Nasty? You tortured children. They were innocent and trying to find a way to escape a pain they didn't understand." Mary mock gasped.

"Why, I never thought of that." She brushed back her black hair and continued in an angry tone.

"CHILDREN were the ones who threw stones at me. CHILDREN where the ones who pulled my hair and called me a witch. CHILDREN out casted me. They are not innocent; they are the ones who deserve to die so I can live on. All those brats deserve to bleed so I can bathe in their blood like the girls who gave me my namesake," her large eyes glowed dangerous fresh blood carmine. "I was only a child myself. Naive to believe anyone could accept a stranger. Rejection cuts deep to a girl so young," the 'girl' looked ready to cry. The moment passed and she grinned as would a serial killer sighting his or her next victim. "But I got my revenge on those girls and boys. They came to my house and did unspeakable things to me. The boys were never even found. Shame I left the blood in the bathtub that one time. Thirty years and I still appeared to be young child. Amazing how murder, torture and blood will affect a person," she looked up at Yugi, who was becoming even paler.

Somehow he whispered, "You... bathed in their blood?" Bloody Mary let out a becharming accented laugh.

"Oh, you must not have heard of my story. Those villagers got the details rather accurate. Though they forgot to mention my continuing lust for revenge. Burning a person at the stake makes us hold terrible grudges."

The sadistic girl giggled and snuggled closer to Yugi. "Here they come," she sang.

* * *

><p>Atem felt shivers go down his spine. He felt as if someone who he could not see was watching him. He was sprawled out and tangled with Bakura and Marik. He spit out gritty sand and only saw a washed out gray, like slush on the road when the snow is just beginning to melt.<p>

Bakura's voice sounded like a gong in the dead silence, "Marik, get your fat ass out of my face."

"As soon as Atem gets his leg off my shoulder so I can move," was the retort. The boys untangled themselves and brushed the tiny pebbles off themselves. Marik whistled at their surroundings. They were trapped in a deep crevice, two walls on either side with a long, never ending middle. There was enough room for about four grown men to lay foot to head through the space between the walls.

Bakura paused. "Did you guys hear that?" The other two stopped what they were doing as well and listened. A faint groaning noise just penetrated the deep silence.

Marik nodded his head, "I heard. Zombies knew we here?" Atem shook his head.

"I don't think those are zombies."

"Well I say we have a look." Bakura went off to the sound of the noise. He was nearly silent on the crunchy ground, a sign of what his ancestry did for thousands of years. Next to him, Atem and Marik sounded like a stampede of wild boars as they rushed after him. The albino stopped dead in his tracks after only a moment, causing the others to run smack into him.

"The-" Marik stopped. A slight turn had blocked their sight from the devastation in front of them. Atem's browned hand flew to his mouth. All three were at a complete and utter loss of words for what they were seeing.

Ghostly remnants of children were reaching toward the sky, clawing slowly with nubs for nails trying to escape. The silence Atem, Marik, and Bakura had witnessed earlier was now replaced with clawing and tiny rocks falling noises. The gray sand ground had dried dusty carmine stains and fresh oozing blood trickling down to collect in the middle. Thousands of children, all emaciated and filthy, faded in and out of existence, only staying solid enough to add more scratching to the chasm. Marik ran past his companions and sprinted forward.

"MALIK!"

**What could life be, without a mind to understand it with?**

_Throw away all that is lost_

_Gained, loved, hated_

_Forget what made you cry_

_Or laugh_

_Simply exist_

_Without a mind_

_Only a soft lukewarm feel_

_Neither unpleasant nor comfortable_

_Reaching for something you don't understand_

_Or remember_

_All I wanted_

_Was to save you_

_I lost my chance of being me_

_Emotions vanish_

_Never ending sleep_

_Oblivion is where I stand_

_Or lie_

_There is not a difference_

_My name I know not_

_I simply let any questions slide away_

_No worries, only nonexistent dreams_

_I died and sold my soul for you_

_Words that make no sense, but describe everything._

_What is this? Pain. Understandable._

_How long have I -?_

_Escape! Must get away. Reach. What for? Something beautiful I cannot remember. It feels like sunlight. Warmth. What am I missing?_

_Big hole in my chest. Inner pain. Heart break. Trapped. Where? Who?_

_Sound. Loud sound. Calling? Solid hands gripping me. Why is he sad? Happy._

_Wet. Tears?_

_Yes. A name. Say it again. Malik? Yes I am..._

**Remember how it works. The words to describe the feelings. Let your mind fall back together to create a sound. Look and see what is in front of you. Fall back into life.**

"Malik?" A strained and very tired voice whispered for the first time in four years. Atem and Bakura far more slowly reached their long gone friend. Marik had woven his way through other tarnished children and ran to his brother. Malik opened his lavender eyes and saw for the first time in years.

Memories long and faded poured into his shattered soul. Shadows along with light ran on the walls of the crevice and jumped into his chest, into his heart. Joy, sorrow, dread, love, heartbreak, friendship are just a few of the traits he now remembered from his past. His heart stretched and filled with his returned emotions and feelings. The once dormant boy was overwhelmed by the sheer life his eyes fluttered shut once more. Malik's form ceased its wavering and fading to become almost solid.

Atem had no idea what to make out of the light show. A familiar shadow drifted by. The teenager felt a cool hand brush across his black shirt in a friendly, close to thankful way. Malik's shadow drifted through Marik, making him shudder, and settled beneath Malik. Malik gasped and became fully solid. Then he coughed and went limp.

"Malik, please wake up. Miss you I do," Marik, with the gentleness only a few caring mothers can give to their newborn child, held onto his baby brother. He stroked the unconscious boy's soil encrusted, white beach sand colored hair. "Little brother, wake please. Miss you I so so much."

Bakura turned away from the family moment. Though he was beyond ecstatic his friend had rejoined the world of the living, he was searching for a familiar face. Someone with huge doe brown eyes and whose appearance almost exactly matched the adolescent. His heart contracted as his desperate look failed to find the other missing boy. Almost hope had Bakura entrapped in its claw like grasp.

The boy's friend put a tan hand on Bakura's slightly dusty shoulder. His carmine eyes spoke more words than his mouth would be able to utter. Atem understood in a sense, the albino's predicament. There is no feeling worse in this lifetime, than losing a family member to something no one understood.

A groan turned all their attention to the two brothers. Malik's body shuddered as he coughed again. His dry, cracked lips started moving, only air he did not need whispering out. Words blossomed and grew from the utterings. What was spoken was, "Hi, Marik. Long time no see. Where have we been?" Dread dropped like stones into the young men's guts.

The older brother asked, "Mean you by by we been?" His younger sibling frowned, clearly not used to the stuttering. Malik asked,

"I could have only been gone for a few days." Malik's aura turned dark. "SHE only had me for six sunsets. Maybe a few more because it was so dark." With his brother's help, the blonde sat up painfully. "Do-do you know who took me?" He sounded almost fearful as he asked the question.

In his smooth tenor, Atem explained, "Yes. We do know who she was." He regretfully told him, "Malik, you have been gone for nearly four years." Malik's slightly bleeding lip trembled at those words.

"But, there's no way..." He trailed off. As his smoky vision became more acute, he noticed his companions were far more physically mature than they had last been. He sounded utterly broken, "No. They can't be right. I-I can't be d-dead." Fat crystalline tears ran down his sunken in cheeks. Death is a hard aspect to handle. To fully accept one's own death is a challenge most ghosts refuse to face and accept.

Droplets of scarlet dripped onto the washed out ground, adding some color to the wasteland. All four sets of eyes turned up to see Tèa floating towards the desolate canyon. Thank you for finding a way here. No person living or dead has ever been able to locate this place. Malik stared in confusion and slight fear at the girl's mutilated body. Tèa had come to the other's lives far after his time was over.

Gracefully, as the dancer she was meant to be, the dead teenager landed next to the young men. When she stood, it was clear how she would have fared had she lived. Her spine had broken near the small of her back, creating a leaning effect. It was impossible for her to stand straight and tall. Had she lived, she would have been paralyzed. The consistent soft flow of carmine fell over her lips as she continued speaking,

To make she we don't fail, we need to wake all these children from their in-between state.

Bakura's brow rose at that,

"Just how do you expect us to achieve that?" Tèa gave the pale thief a gruesome smile.

Bring them to life. Coax the children into the land of the living. By the judgment of Malik, I must presume nonexistence is a nonpleasant experience.

Though not asked as a question, Malik decided to answer anyway,

"I couldn't think. My mind just wasn't working. I felt like I was reaching for something I couldn't remember." He shuddered at the remembrance of not having a working mind. Malik hoped he would never experience such anguish as not remembering and not being dead or alive. Painfully, and with his sibling's help, he shakily stood up.

Wobbling and using Marik for support, the recently remembered Egyptian knelt beside a girl in a thin antebellum dress. The girl was unseeing, but had her pale arm in the air beside the ash colored wall. A thick horrible slash went from her frail wrist to the crook of her elbow. The girl was one of Mary's first victims, before the witch had been burned at the stake.

Soothingly, Malik worded to the unnamed girl, "its okay, you can come back now. We remember you."

Another light show of colors danced around the rescuers. These colors though, were far less vibrant than the previous firework display. Faded blues and pale rose drifted as if the centuries of being melancholy from having been forbidden to rest in peace had infused into the very nature of the girl's past. A tiny gasp drew from her blue lips. A brown eye peeked through long lashes. Raspy from the lack of usage, she breathlessly asked, "Am I free?" Atem treaded to her side and nodded his head.

Mana smiled, splitting her lip, "Thank you." Her head lolled back onto the gritty ground. She clearly had been struggling for too long a time to keep her consciousness. Atem smoothed her dull brown hair out of her face.

Tèa followed Malik's lead and lulled to life a boy with rags for clothes and the classic beggars cut fingered mittens. Atem, Bakura, and the Ishtar brothers together started the long endearing task of bringing the children back from their torment.

After a few moments of rest, Mana shakily stood up and hugged friends of hers from the lifetime she originated from.

As more and more children awakened, lights stronger than the Northern Auroras zoomed and flashed by. Moans filled the valley with sound. Crunching of the unfertile soil, whispered words of comfort, and crying also made the sweet melody of life.

At last, every child was awake. The eerie nonchattering from all the adolescents was rather unnerving to Atem and his roommates. All five of the 'family' stood at the front of all the lost souls, about to lead them. Tèa remained lost in the sea of adolescents. Marik was still holding his younger brother, fearing he may be torn from his grip yet again from an unseen enemy. The younger sibling accepted his brother's love, feeling more grounded as his emotions became less dormant.

Atem swallowed. Now his earlier feelings of nervousness with only Marik and Bakura seemed laughable. In front of him were thousands of tired, filthy children. Malik, becoming more like his old self, testingly kicked Atem right on the tush, making many of the kids giggle and cough to hide laughter. Because he was such a deep color, Atem's deep blush only turned his cheekbones slightly pink tinged. Putting a calming mental picture of an ocean wave, he patiently waited for silence to settle over them again.

Instead of starting with a thanks for coming, or how are you doing, Atem went straight to his reason for coming.

"I know you only just returned to being somewhat alive, but the one who brought you to this place needs to be stopped. Bloody Mary cannot get away with what she has done to you, and what she is doing to another innocent soul like you all were." At the mention of the vengeful spirit, the younger children started crying while the older ones looked ashen. Every single being caught in the in-between was directly affected by the evil ghost.

Atem fumbled in his pants pocket and pulled out the picture of Yugi. "This is Yugi. Like you, he was falsely lead to her. For two years he has been tortured by the witch. I met him just the other night, and I immediately became friends with him. He doesn't deserve what is happening to him, you didn't either." He looked imploringly at the crowd.

"Yugi is still alive. His body is still breathing. With all of your help, we could save him and any others that may come after him."

A slightly menacing boy Malik's age challenged Atem, "Why can I not just move on? I can feel my soul being pulled away to the afterlife. Why should I risk my neck for someone I do not know?"

Atem locked eyes with the teenager. Crimson and aqua. "I am only requesting. One could only hope there is enough humanity left in you all to want to save an innocent soul from eternal torment. Or at least a strong want for vengeance." The other young man raised a blonde eyebrow at that, but backed down. His choice in the matter was evident he wanted revenge. Boat loads of eyes casted downward to the ground.

Back to the matter at hand Atem continued, "Please consider helping us. No one else will have to suffer."

A tenitive pale arm raised into the air. "I am willing. I was her first victim and I do not wish a fate like mine upon any other person." Atem smiled and nodded. Other hands started following Mana's bold starting. Every hand soon was raised. Not one soul wanted Bloody Mary to get off scott free. All four boys were glad everyone wanted to help rid the world of Mary. Tèa floated back to the roommates at the head of the adolescent mob.

I will bring them when you give the signal. We will be waiting.

Before dawn black shadows started wrapping around the still living boys. Marik cried out, "Wait! I want stay to!"

The shadows only clicked and sucked Atem and Bakura away, both screaming for Marik to come with them.

* * *

><p>Two teenagers suddenly sat up bolt straight from their place on the apartment floor. They seemed as if the two had only fell asleep. Bakura immediately flipped over and checked Marik's pulse. He sighed in slight relief as he felt the faint thudding.<p>

The descendent of the pharaoh steadied himself using the wall. The albino stared blankly as Atem stormed to the bathroom.

He kicked random picture glass and books out of his way before he reached the wooden door. Not even pausing, the one also known as Yami swung the obstacle behind him and locked it firmly. Having not bothered to turn the lights on, he called

"Mary, Mary, Bloody Mary.

Game, game

Let's play a game

Come to play master of games

I challenge you to come and play

Game, game

Come out and play Yugi!"

The sennen eye burst onto his forehead, lighting all the candles from a few days prier. Atem clearly saw as a tiny bit of cloud made a thin film over the mirror at the sudden change in temperature. Out of a shadow appeared the two, seemingly standing right next to the Egyptian. He turned his head slightly to find, as expected, no one there.

Yugi was in horrendous shape, new and terrible thin strips coated the boy from head to toe, bone protruded nastily from his overstretched skin. To Atem, it seemed as if the boy's mind was fragmenting right before his crimson eyes. Beside the dying soul was the cause of all of the strife around him, no other than Bloody Mary herself.

Her sweet southern accent drifted as would clouds to Yami. "You have caused me a lot of annoyance the past several days. I even have an entire realm in chaos." At Atem's triumphant grin, she slitted her eyes and sounded more threatening. "A realm easily destroyed. Along with Yugi here." A small hand traveled up Yugi's purple stripped arm.

Atem growled, the eye becoming more luminous. "You're game is over. This is going to end whether you want it to or not." Mary laughed, a little girl's laugh, and wrapped her arms around Yugi, who shivered at the unwelcome touch. Disgust and hurt gleamed in his amethyst eyes.

This action enraged Atem beyond rational thinking. "I am the descendent of the pharaoh! It is my duty to protect my people! You will not get away any longer!" Passionate crimson locked with swirling scarlet.

In a slightly humorous tone, Bloody Mary shook her head. "Do you not see? I have already won."

Atem's arm snapped back, his hand balled in a fist. He struck the demon with the innocent appearance, making the glass shatter into uncountable pieces, causing Yugi to disappear with a horrorstruck face and Bloody Mary's mocking grin to vanish.


	7. Destroying A Demon, The End

Icepool: This is the final chapter of our story and I have had a blast writing this with ARL.

Autumn: Now I'm blushing.

Icepool: We have struggled through this since October and we really hope we can meet your expectations at the ending.

Autumn: Now if you just hate the ending, the more reviews we get will defiantly contribute to the writing of the sequel. Icepool, thanks for helping me with my idea at three in the morning.

Icepool: *blushes* You are welcome.

Autumn: I could not have done this without you. *hugs*

Icepool: *hugs back* And a thank you to faithful reviewer Namara Jane Knight, without your threats, this may have been dragged out even longer.

Disclaimer- I think everyone knows that Kazuki Takahashi owns the rights to Yu-Gi-Oh. Bloody Mary... We have none idea, not ours though!

Myth of The Game Spirit

Chapter 7

Destroying a Demon

Spiderwebs stretched across the image of the two spirits before the glass fell and shattered on impact as the pieces of mirror hit the tiled ground. Hundreds of enraged Atems glared back at the original Egyptian. Crimson droplets fell from the teenager's sliced hand and bounced across the mirror fragments. Only after a few deep, calming breathes did the Eye of Horus fade from Atem's forehead. Loud knocking brought the boy from his blind rage.

"Atem! Get your ass out of there or I'm going to kick it out!" Bakura promised. Atem knew fully well his friend would go through any threat he made. Taking his time to try to make sense of the past few days, the Egyptian unlocked the false brass door handle at retardindo speed. (I kid you not, Actual part of some music).

The moment the soft _click_ sounded, the once thief practically flew into the room and hugged his friend. "Stop making me worry like some bitchy female. I really hate that." Atem stood stunned for a moment. Bakura had not ever expressed such emotion before. Excepting one boy, the white haired teenager only tolerated the rest of society. After his emotional outburst, Bakura coughed and stood awkwardly away. Only one being had ever seen this caring side to him.

For the first time, crimson eyes looked over their owner's apartment. It was totally and utterly destroyed. As they turned back to the remnants of the mirror, Atem could not help but think the shattered glass symbolized how he felt about the previous couple of days. Then he tacked on Ryou's death some odd years before and Malik's not shortly after.

Grief is an odd thing. It can leave one broken like a dormant car on the side of an abandoned road, or it may sneak up on one at the oddest or worst times. To suddenly find one's self in a situation where two close friends have been lost and you are the only one who can save a new found friend can make that person remember, once dead, there is no coming back. After one's life dance is over, there is not an encore. There are no second chances.

With this realization, Atem heavily went into the once living room and sank to his knees. How? How does one cope with the finality of death? Even though he had found Malik's soul, once his quest was completed, the boy would finally be allowed into the afterlife. Atem guessed further that Marik would be unable to move past the pain this go around.

Bakura watched the fire drain from Atem's eyes, darkening from intense yet beautiful carmine to dark muddy Georgia clay. He saw the previous drive and determination fade as reality sunk in. The albino had understood the consequences from nearly the beginning. There would be no happy ending. Even should they win and Bloody Mary be vanquished, their loved ones would still leave them behind yet again. "Atem?"

No answer befell him. Only a whispered, "No matter what, it's useless. They will all die."

Bakura felt his rage build up. He changed from the worried and hug giving friend to his usual kick butt attitude. Without thinking, his hand snapped back and he slapped the other teenager right on his left cheek. Immediately a red hand mark appeared on the abused flesh. Atem cradled his bruising cheek and hopelessly looked up at Bakura.

The thief king's decendent shoved a shaking finger in the other's face. "You cannot and you will not give up," he started slowly. "You have a chance to save someone and set THOUSANDS of children free. You can't just abandon that poor kid to die. I will not let you waste this chance. I DESTROYED Ryou! I can't let you make the same mistake I did." One crystalline salty tear slid down his face before dripping onto the messy floor. "I would give anything to go back and fix my mistakes. If you give up now, then you will always have the guilt that you didn't save him."

Atem stood and set a comforting browned hand on Bakura's shoulder before it was slapped away. "I don't need your pity. I barely know why I care."

"Because you understand the consequences," the other whispered softly. He shook his red tipped ebony hair and blonde bangs trying to drive out the negativity.

Bakura nodded. Yes, the adolescent did understand the consequences quite well. Thinking of Ryou, the albino had a realization. "We should have a sèance."

Every bit of anything fell off Atem's face. "You have completely lost me. We're trying to get rid of a spirit, not invite them here."

Grinning, Bakura explained, "But, should we have someone bring us to the spirit, then we could have a surprise advantage. Just think, anyone human, animal, or in between feels safe in their home. When you threaten them inside of their haven, they are more likely to panic." Slow nodding was his answer. A pale hand grabbed Atem's tan one and Bakura pulled his friend back to where Atem had first pulled them into the shadow realm.

Both sets of feet were bleeding after the hike across the two person long apartment. Atem simply rolled on some socks and made a mental note to clean up all the mess later. The other crossed his legs and set his ring on the bed. He gestured for the other Egyptian to give him the millennium puzzle located around his neck. Bakura took the outstretched offering and set it neatly beside his own item.

The tri colored teenager sat across from Bakura and they held hands. Immediately the items reacted to their wishes. A soft golden glow emanated from the ancient artifacts. They could feel the items working together to find a spirit to guide them to Bloody Mary. Atem cracked and eye and asked, "Have you tried doing this for Ryou?"

"Watch it spiky." A sigh. "I have. Many times." Atem looked at him perplexedly,

"Why havent' you asked for help? You know the items work best together."

Bakura hung his head. "I did not want to appear weak."

"Missing someone you love isn't weak, it's called having a heart." He squeezed Bakura's hands in comfort. He knew this was hard for his friend. The only thing in his entire life that had made Bakura grieve had been the loss of his family and Ryou's death. Atem had only once seen Bakura truly upset, and that had been the day his best friend's heart had given out.

_Bakura, it's okay to still be sad. Though I never knew you cared for me that much._

An apparition appeared beside the two boys. In the item's golden light, the dead boy became more solid.

The older albino swallowed back tears. He had thought he never would see his closest friend again. "Ryou?"

The spirit grinned. _It is about time you managed to summon me. _Bakura reached out a hand and grasped Ryou's translucent one. To him, the hand felt like cool, calming water. To Ryou, Bakura's hand felt like a warm life giving tree, giving him strength to stay.

"I have missed you so much."

_Then be good, because I really want to see you in heaven. It's absolutely perfect there! Everything you ever thought it'd be and more._

Bakura let his thoughts wonder dark. "Then why are you here?" His twin turned his head to the side in confusion. _You missed me. Why wouldn't I come back? I have all of eternity in my afterlife unless I decide to reincarnate. Being a guardian angel seems like much more fun then having the possibility of being a flower._ Atem hid his laugh behind his hand. The same old Ryou, sweet, somewhat clueless, and very willing to make a joke at his own expense. Then he thought for a moment.

"What do you mean by guardian angel?" the Egyptian asked.

_Exactly what you think. I'm Bakura's guardian angel. I ward off evil from hurting him. Without me, you would have gotten hit by that bus last year._

Understanding clicked into Bakura's eyes.

"That was you?" Ryou nodded. _I would have come to you much sooner, but I never had the strength until now._ A dark look covered his sweet face. _This Bloody Mary has been a menace for generations._ Tears filled his doe brown eyes. _Why are you trying to fight her? You guys keep disappearing where I can't find you and it really frightens me. She can trap your soul! Why are you three doing this?_

The two friends were shocked. Ryou would have done anything to save anyone. Including taking a bullet to the chest right where his heart lied. Atem whispered, "To save all those souls she has trapped already. She took someone I care about and I can' t just sit around and let his spirit fall apart into unrecognizable pieces."

The angel nodded. He knew his friends, though having dark powers, were pure in heart. At least the intentions they pursued. No one could say the three were innocent, but they used their darkness to protect the ones they love.

_Do you even know how to destroy her when you get the chance?_

At that Bakura smiled.

"How we do everything else, wing it, fight fire with fire, tooth and nail." Ryou could not help but smile softly. It faded after only a moment.

_If my understanding is correct, you summoned me for help as well?_

Atem nodded.

"We need a portal to Bloody Mary's realm. With her still having Yugi, she has no need to pull us through the mirror and I don't know another way in."

Ryou thoughtfully crossed his arms and sat on the bed. His tender British accent drifted back to the two, _I don't know of any either. It is doubtful any of the children could take you back... Who again did you say was the current soul she held? _

"Yugi. Yugi Mutou. He was sixteen when she first got him. Now he is eighteen," said Atem.

The angel's eyes nearly popped out of his head. _He has been there for TWO YEARS? My goodness. I can't believe... _Atem nodded.

"I don't understand either. From the other's I saw, most lasted barely a few days." Ryou gazed sadly at the floor. Bakura hated to see That look cross his face. He thought for a moment before saying,

"How did he look the last you saw him?" The other living one shuddered.

"Horrible. Like his entire world had fallen apart." Thoughtfully, Bakura inquired,

"Remember how you first met? He's the game spirit. Would that work again?" This time Ryou answered.

_No. I can feel it now. He is starting to unravel. This Yugi has a very strong, pure spirit. Almost like an angel's already. In fact, one of his emotions has broken off altogether. One of his past lives must have separated,_

he mused. He suddenly jumped, giving the other two a slight heart attack. _That's it! Bakura, this sèance can be opened to other spirits, right?_ At the dazed nod, Ryou continued, _I knew it._ He held his almost solid hands over the glowing items. A look of pure concentration went over his features.

Atem and Bakura looked at each other. This could be it. This could be the chance Atem has needed to save his new found friend.

A light almost familiar laugh danced across the room. The laugh was followed by an orb of light. Pure, innocent, laughter. Atem's carmine eyes widened. "That's Yugi's laugh. I heard it before." The orb floated by Atem and seemingly poked him.

_Hello! _

It spoke to him. Ryou gestured the spirit closer to himself. When the evanescent sphere touched Ryou's palm, it stretched and became far more colorful. The spirit transformed into a short child with wild violet tipped ebony hair. Blonde bangs fell sweetly over his dark tan face, hiding his amethyst eyes. The look alike to Yugi looked at himself and then bowed to Atem. _Pharaoh. Tis nice to greet your soul again. _He glanced wearily at Bakura. _Thief King._ Ryou patted Bakura to keep him from leaping at the ghost.

"Who are you?" Atem asked.

_Oh! Sorry, how awfully rude of me. I am Heba. The one you know me as now is... Yugi. He is my reincarnated form. _

He frowned. _I had forgotten everything for so long. How... Odd._

Ryou soothed, _When your soul returns the afterlife, you will remember everything. _Heba nodded and looked off, lost in another world. All three looked at him rather concerned. Bakura asked,

"What the hell is wrong with him?" Tears gathered in Heba's gem eyes and spilled down his cheeks. _I am dying. Again._ He sounded broken. Atem took his hand in comfort. Heba fully solidified and kept staring in the distance. Drops of tears dripped onto the bed. Real, actually there tears. Someone who had been dead for centuries was now able to cry in this new day.

"Heba, don't cry. Is there a way to Yugi? You had to of gotten here somehow." The spirit nodded. _The place I was at drained me. I escaped a few days ago. _He took a shaky breath. All traces of happiness gone. _I need to go back. I am falling apart. _Atem asked,

"Can you bring us to him? We can save you." Heba thought for a moment. He nodded.

_I can bring you along. _

The second spirit held a now wavering hand to Bakura. He simply stared. Bakura turned to Ryou,

"Will I see you again?" Ryou smiled and nodded.

_Maybe sooner than you think. If you ever want to talk, just know I'm always with you._

He poked Bakura's chest, over his heart. _Right there._ Ryou placed Bakura's hand into the other spirit's and smiled. Giant white feathered wings burst from his back and he hollered with joy as he jumped out the window and disappeared in a flurry of colors.

Bakura smiled for a moment. "He truly was meant to be an angel." Atem added,

"I miss him as well. Maybe next time we meet will be under better circumstances. Are you ready Heba?"

The child looked ready to cry. _I believe so._ Atem squeezed his hand.

"I promise I will do everything to save you. Now chin up, you are the embodiment of happiness, no glum. Got it?" Heba nodded slowly and concentrated. All three began flickering like a candle during a March day. Right before they completely disappeared, Heba said,

_Before we go, I am making a pit stop._

At the double "WHAT?", he threw his head back and laughed.

The moment they left their bodies again, the boys clearly felt the process. It felt as if they were flying at top speed through a cold fountain on a hot, middle of summer, Texas day. Shocking yet relieving at the same time. Atem peeled his eyes open and was shocked to find themselves zipping through the streets of Domino. _Where are we going? _Though it came as a whisper, the spirit world beings can hear quite clearly. Heba explained,

_The pit stop is Domino Hospital. I shall not get lost, so do not worry. This is the city I grew up in. Or at least in this lifetime. _

Bakura raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing. Both watched in utter fascination at the colors going by at high speeds. The albino's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. _I just saw-!_

_Yes, the spirit world is intertwined with the living world. Once your adventure with me is done, you and I will have a great sensitivity to this realm. This is also where 'ghosts' and other lore is based from. _

The travelers stopped in front of a window on the inside of a bland hallway. A continuous and steady heart beat drifted across a long forgotten room. Inside, the white shades were drawn, creating a melancholy look. Shadows rippled and twisted over a petite teenager. The only colors decorating the room was the boy's faded tri-colored hair. Atem knew should the young lad open his eyes, startling amethyst would shine back to him.

Yugi Motou had lain forgotten in this room for nearly two years. His brain stem was still working, so he could breath for himself. In fact, it was only as if he simply was not home. This being the utmost truth because his spirit had left behind a healthy body.

Heba lead them through the colorless walls and beside the bland bed. To Bakura, there seemed to be nothing worth waking up to see in this place. All three young men treaded closer to the sleeping adolescent. The only sounds in the room a steady heart beat and soft breathing. Atem saw goose bumps covering the comatose teenager's arms and much to his surprise, was able pull the blanket to Yugi's chilled neck.

The past life looked in a trance as he came to his present body. He reached out a translucent browned hand and met a shimmering shield around Yugi. _She is smart. I cannot go back into my own consciousness. _His hand glowed and Heba studied it for a moment. _Slipping away, piece by broken piece._ Atem touched his shoulder in comfort.

_You will be together again. _

He promised. Heba turned and looked at him with the saddest violet eyes he had ever witnessed.

_How can my heart possibly break, when it wasn't even whole to start with? _

The youngest suddenly griped his heart and fell to his knees. The others rushed to his side and tried to help. Heba smiled through tears.

_This is where my journey ends. Save my future self so I do not disappear completely. _

Cracks appeared in his tan skin, and light shone through. Atem and Bakura stared in shock as the other teenager was in engulfed in the bright light. Heba screamed as he disintegrated before their eyes. When he was no more, the other travelers stood stunned. _He- he's gone..._ Atem stuttered.

Bakura felt his skin crawl at the death he had just witnessed. To see someone die in front of you is a life changing experience. That person one moment fine, the next, gone forever. Atem felt a wetness on his cheek. He touched his forefinger to it and discovered it was a tear. Damn. It. All.

_We're coming. _

**MaryMaryBloodyMary.**

The dark haired girl was becoming rather... frightened. Her perfectly constructed realm had cracks appearing all over, her world falling apart.

"No, no, no, this simply won't do." She walked around Yugi, who was looking rather ashen and shaky. "What should I do, darling? I can't strike them down unless they offer their souls in the mirror. Oh! If they come here, I don't know what I can do!" A scraggly shadow of a cat rubbed against the fretting girl, purring in comfort. She sighed out the dead, shadow realm air.

"You are right. I will always have my true friends." A trickle of fear entered her brown eyes, all the crimson drained for the moment._ "If they come, they will hurt me again. I don't want that." _Her voice cracked, _"It hurt so bad, Shadowrun." _She picked up the black remnant of her only friend. "I will make sure you go to heaven though. I'm going to Hell." Scarlet tears fell from her eyes. Being only eleven, she had grown up learning hurting others is the only way to protect one's self from harm.

Yugi spoke softly, all emotion gone. _"Let go of the demon inside you, Mary. You're a sweet girl when you act like this."_ The crimson flared back in her eyes.

_"I will be avenged! Hush!" _

Shadowrun regretfully became a dagger. No screaming sounded after the horrible stabs, for Yugi had nothing left for pain to come.

**Then the walls shall fall! No man can create a boundary from his misdeeds. Tonight, we will bring the city to the ground. Innocent or no, they will all burn!**

Atem jumped into the nonreflectant mirror on Yugi's bedside table. He fought his way through thick spiderwebs as he fell. A sick bone cracking met his ears. He looked down, fully surprised it was not his own. An American accent met his ears, _"Do you not feel it? Then you are done for! All the others were numb before they died. Who knows where they went, horrible creatures. _

His skin crawled as she laughed evilly. "_Ring around the rosie. A pocket full of posies. Ashes, ashes, we all fall down. DEAD! Ahahahahaha!"_

Clearly distracted, Atem found some friendly shadows, willing to listen to his call. A portal slowly began to spin. The only downfall of a shadow portal is it needs time to work. And because the In between did not exist, it might take longer than usual to create. He needed to make sure Bloody Mary did not come to this place.

This place was a formal dining room. White sheets covered all the chairs and the table. Candles remained unlit on the table, oddly not up. Atem tried to think of what he remembered of Bloody Mary's story.

She was an old medicine woman who lived in the woods. One day, little girls began disappearing, the woman looking younger than ever. The villagers found shallow graves in her yard and her bath tub filled with her victim's blood. Mary was burned at the stake, and she promised revenge.

Atem could not help but be surprised at how different this Bloody was from the original. She seemed so young, as if she had never grown up. A new shadow fell across the doorway; Atem held his breath.

_"Ohh, Ateeem. I know you're hiiiding! I'll fiiind you. Yuuugi's been waaaiting for youu._

" The shadow and demented voice faded away. Atem breathed a sigh of relief and felt a breeze across his neck. He turned, dismayed at the open door. Swirling bloody eyes locked with his. Bloody Mary had a wide eyed stare and a cute, little girl smile. Atem stared back a moment in complete horror. Then he remembered he had a brain and used it. He flat out ran out the room.

_"How long can you hide? This is my house, my rules. You're playing a dangerous game I created. How long can Atem hide before I kill him?"_

She sang.

Fear shot in waves down his back as he paused on a staircase, out of breath. It was rather low for him to be scared out of his wits of an eleven year old and him being eighteen. But this was no normal child. Some demonic presence ruled over her.

A whisper met his ear,

_"How long can you hide?" _

He nearly screamed at the closeness. Blindly, he lashed out with his shadows, catching the girl with surprise. _"Traitors!"_ She screamed. Thick, black blood gushed from long lacerations down her face and arms. The horrible mess spilled into her eyes, blinding her.

Getting back his calm, Atem spoke, _"Is it so hard to believe? When you treat someone like nothing, then their loyalty for you will be the same."_ Spinning scarlet glared at bright carmine.

_"You don't know anything! Go away!"_

Her own shadows lashed out at Atem like whipping branches. Tiny cuts covered all of his exposed skin. A gasp of sudden pain left him. He looked as if crimson paint had been slung over and over by a minuscule paint brush.

Light wrapped around Mary's arms, pinning them behind her back. Yugi stood in the doorway, looking much like a zombie. _"You broke your promise."_ The demented girl snarled and writhed around, trying to free herself. She feel to the ground and rolled about, horribly useless.

Atem smiled to Yugi, _"Thank you, Yugi." _The smaller lookalike nodded and leaned heavily against the blood spattered wall. His moon ray skin had become the color of ash, deathly gray, his hair faded, and white knotted scars were littered all over his body. He would not have lasted another night.

The portal beside the open door fully completed. Out stepped Tèa and she was followed by thousands of orbs of light. The lights filled the dark house, transforming the horror scene into a nice and pleasant plantation once more. Yugi feel to his knees when he saw his love. Even though she had a disfigured body, he still was stunned by her. He never thought he would see her again since he was in Hell.

One of the orbs floated in front of a very frightened dark spirit. It transformed back into a humanoid figure, Mana. _"I tried to be your friend while all the others were so cruel, yet you massacred my body and bathed in my blood. All I wanted was to help, you obliterated my soul. Now is the time for our retribution_._"_ Tainted brown eyes widened and filled with tears at this statement.

A battle cry resonated and echoed. All the lights flew around and conglomerated into one object of energy. Wind blew, making the sheets rise and fly off the furniture, and blowing hair crazily around. After a few blinks, a light too bright to look at directly shone in front of Atem.

Instead of just a large ball of energy, the victims became a sword of light. An orchestra of beautiful voices sung when he griped it in his right hand. "Revenge," it spoke. "Home. Free" Anything good or evil, they all wanted to depart for the afterlife after destroying the demon. Tèa told Atem, Now or never, Only you can kill the demon. Either set them free, or let her keep killing the innocent.

He looked uncertainly at Bloody Mary. For some odd reason, he could not see the monster he had grown to hate. Instead, a little girl looked at him with big, terrified eyes. What had happened? Almost regretfully, Atem plunged the sword into her black heart.

A scream like no other sounded. Mary fell to the floor. Her back arched and a terrible shadow monster ripped from her chest. It chuckled at Atem's shocked face and laughed insanely. _You finally got me! I'm Bloody Mary! Hahahahaha. Nice of you to meet my daughter, Jennette. She was BURNED centuries ago. _Another demented laugh sounded.

_I revived her. You all blamed my sweet for my killings. So I resurrected her body and put my soul within it. My revenge on all you wretched children!_

The shadow transformed to a woman in her early thirties with crackly black hair and the familiar scarlet eyes. Her daughter lied splayed on the floor, the sword used to kill her spirit knocked away. Bloody Mary took the sword and stroked it as it screamed.

Yugi felt all the pieces click together. So the sweet moments were not Mary at all, but some shreds of her daughter's soul. No wonder he had survived for so long, the child had made him like herself; trapped and hurting, but still alive.

Tèa reacted first. She flew at the true demon and wrestled her to the ground; efficiently,the weapon fell on the wooden floor. Atem dived for it, landing right beside it. A shadow blast knocked the truly dead girl across the room; her head hanging limp. Yugi ran to her and stood protectively in front of the unconscious deceased.

Atem thrust the sword to its true target, hitting her in the stomach. Mary blanched and slowly pulled the weapon from her. Now she was mortally wounded. Shakily, she took a menacing step to the hero, fully intent on obliterating the pest. What happened next made the whole realm disappear.

Jennette had come to. She wrapped her arms around her mother's pulsing waist and snapped the sword through their hearts. Both protagonist and the third blinking dizzy watched Jennette turn to them and smile, _I'm free. Thank you. If you ever need a guide in Hell, I'll be right by your side._ The mother and daughter screamed and the realm burst into nothing, dragging the heroes back to limbo.

**Life is not fair. The biggest understatement in the world, yet only truth.**

Marik and Malik fell backwards onto the gravely ground as another portal deposited Atem, Yugi, and Tèa nearly right on top of them. They painfully dragged themselves apart. The trio had a weary look about their eyes. Malik noticed and asked,

"What happened? Everyone disappeared and all I remember is a bunch of light." Marik grasped his brother's arm and hugged it to him; he had clearly not liked Malik disappearing to assist the other victims. Atem explained,

"We just killed a little girl. She was Bloody Mary's daughter. She sacrificed herself." Malik thought for a moment of his last memories and remembered the odd moments of feeling both presences. He nodded; everything made sense.

Tèa stood up and spoke to the boys around her. I never did expect her to have a daughter. I am so sorry. Tears sparkled down her cheeks. Thank you for finally freeing everyone. They told me you guys have earned a straight shot to heaven when you die. Malik, when you are ready, you can move on. She then knelt beside Yugi's motionless form.

Marik gripped his brother tighter. "Really want leave so now?" His brother smiled and nodded.

"I hate leaving you, but I need to go on. One day, we will meet again." A door of light appeared a few steps away. The door opened and a girl with fiery red hair stepped out. She closed the door again and opened it to revile a place of dreams and light. Heaven, the door opener promised.

Marik wished so bad to follow his bother, but he knew that would be a mistake. At least now he had the chance to say goodbye. He looked into his brother's lavender eyes and nodded.

"Love and miss you." They both hugged for a moment. Malik waved to Bakura and Atem. He took a deep breath and walked through the door. The girl with red hair blinked her giant brown eyes and took a look around. No judgement. You are all alive. Except, she pointed to Tèa, you. When you are ready, you shall fade into heaven. At glare she received, she laughed. Nothing I have not seen before. See you all at a later date. The odd girl swung through the door, slammed it closed, and it disappeared without a trace.

Yugi stared blankly where they left. He turned his dead eyes to Tèa, _"Are you okay?"_

The fallen angel nodded. I accepted my death a long while ago. She cupped her hand to his cheek. Though you are not. 

Atem walked to the two, leaving Bakura to keep Marik from harming himself. _"You can't blame yourself anymore for what happened. They shouldn't have left you, the other drunk driver shouldn't have hit them, nothing is your fault, Yugi."_

Yugi did not react. He simply stared blankly at the two trying to comfort him. Only a black hole was left of his heart; the rest scattered and lost with Heba.

"_I should have been a man and accepted what they were going to do to me. Perhaps murder, who knows? Death sounds like a blessing now. _Tèa gasped and grabbed his hands.

No! Don't think like that! Never. I love you, Yugi. Please don't leave me.

The death he spoke of was falling into obliteration.

_"Love?"_

She blushed and nodded.

Atem backed away to his friends. He and Bakura comforted Marik the best they could. After a moment, Marik faded away back into his body. Bakura looked at Yugi and Tèa before shaking his head and leaving. A flicker behind a gray rock made the teenager frown and stand up to investigate.

He walked over and picked up a shadow as he pressed against the rock. He whipped his arm and caught the intruder. _Oomph!_ A very tan boy with Yugi and Atem's odd hair style sprawled on the ground. Atem gasped out, _Heba! You're alright!_ The past life nodded and put a finger over his lips in a 'stay quiet' sign.

Perplexed, Atem nodded and went back to where he was sitting previously. Heba smiled, winked at him, and turned into a shadow. He flew lightning fast to Yugi and rejoined his shattered soul.

Yugi felt completely whole. All of a sudden, the world had beautiful color again and he felt the love he once had for Tèa. Tèa... Who was right in front of him. Tèa watched amazed at the life flow back into Yugi's amethyst eyes.

"_Tèa!"_ He hugged her close. She smiled and gratefully hugged him back. The broken girl raised a brow to Atem, asking if it was him. In return, he smiled mischievously and shrugged his shoulders.

Nice to finally have you back.

Azure and bright violet gazed at one another. Yugi, not looking away, wiped the blood off her lips. Tèa smiled and leaned forward, giving Yugi a kiss. The boy blushed and nearly melted through the sandy ground.

Tèa ended the sweet moment and turned to Atem, A happy ending, no?

_The greatest._

Yugi smiled to his newest friend, _Thank you so much Atem. You truly are the best friend I have ever had. I will never forget this._

Tèa sneezed and giant wings unfurled from her back. Her body contorted back into its previous state from before the accident. The blood ceased its slow dripping from her body. Her clothes transformed into a gown of light.

She looked to the sky. Up there is home, down below is hell. Far beyond where we can see is where I'm being called. Care for a first and final dance Yugi? The boy nodded.

Atem watched the two as they floated into the sky, holding each other close and swaying to an unheard symphony. He felt a true smile come to his lips and disappeared.

**There finally comes a moment when you can accept what will one day come, whatever it may be.**

A red head opened a door in a wasteland. She knelt and gently prodded a little girl with huge brown eyes awake. Come on Jennette. Heaven awaits. You are allowed for destroying the evil in your soul.

_What about Momma?_

She asked with a broken heart. The door opener smiled.

She has a second chance. Should she be good this life time, she will come with you. It is you who gave her this chance. Your mother lost her sanity after losing you. Come through the door so you can be your mother's guardian angel.

She smiled and looked kindly with her own set of brown, trustful, puppy eyes. Jennette reached for the outstretched hand.

_Okay._

**Sometimes, even though we did everything right, it all falls through the invisible cracks. **

A fresh Atem strolled through the hospital doors, holding a flower he had picked on the sidewalk beside the building. For some reason, it seemed odd to come in empty handed. He signed his name on the visitor's check in and walked down the bland hallways, trying to remember the way Heba had brought him two days before.

He took a wrong turn and found himself in the maternity ward. A bunch of pink balloons overflowed out a door. On one, it proclaimed, "Welcome to the family, Mary!" The coincidence made him shudder. The hero turned around and went down the correct hallway. Brown eyes blinked in invisible gratitude. The angel watched him for a moment before turning back to her child she was to guard.

The nameplate for this room stated "Yugi Motou". Atem listened for a moment and heard an old man speaking to a familiar voice,

"I can't just leave you! You just came back!" A laugh sounded.

"Grandpa, I'm not going anywhere. Go get some food. I'll be right here, awake, and ready to continue having my ears talked off." Double laughter quietly filled the air after a few seconds of silence. Atem backed a few paces and watched Solomon Motou head to the cafeteria, tears in his eyes.

He stole a breath and knocked.

"Come in."

There eyes met. One battle weary and the other's bright with innocence. Before Atem could utter a word, Yugi politely asked, "Who are you?"

A thousand million thoughts of why stormed in Atem's mind. "Do you not remember?" A frown came to Yugi's mouth.

"Remember what?"

A peace filled smile came to Atem. "Nothing, I'm sorry. I must have the wrong room." He turned and closed the door, leaving the previously comatose boy with a strange sense of deja voo.

End

**Autumn: And that is a wrap!**

**Icepool: Or rap, we no can spell.**

**Autumn: Review pewees, it makes us have something worth living for.**

**Rika: And a lot of reviews asking, SEQUEL, will create a sequel.**

**Autumn, Icepool: Goodbye faithful readers!**


	8. Auther's Note on Sequel

**About the sequel**

**Autumn: Hey everyone! I just wanted you all to know that the sequel to this story is**

**Forgotten Myth**

**by Icepool123**

**Autumn: She is my amazing partner and she is doing amazing on the sequel. We seem to have lost a lot of readers when we switched to her account and I want you all to know I did give her permission and it really is the sequel. Please go to her account to find out the continued adventures of Yugi and Atem. **

**Rika: And give us some reviews for that story, Icepool is feeling really down! **

**Autumn: Thank your guys for being awesome and reading our stories!**


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